Display Device, Drive Method Thereof, and Drive System Thereof

1. A display device, comprising: a first display section which includes a plurality of gate signal lines; a plurality of source signal lines; first switching sections, each of which is disposed near each of crossings of the gate signal lines and the source signal lines with a control terminal for switching operation connected to the gate signal line; pixel electrodes, each of which is connected to the source signal line through the first switching section, the first display section further including a source-signal-line drive circuit for supplying a display data signal to each of the plurality of source signal lines; a second switching section; and a second display section which includes the plurality of gate signal lines; the plurality of source signal lines; the first switching sections; and the pixel electrodes, each of the source signal lines of the second display section being connected to a corresponding one of the source signal lines of the first display section through the second switching section, the second display section sharing the source-signal-line drive circuit with the first display section, the second switching section connects the corresponding source signal lines of the first display section to the source signal lines of the second display section and disconnects the corresponding source signal lines of the first display section from the source signal lines of the second display section based a switching control signal, the second display section being used for display less frequently than the first display section.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second display section has a larger number of pixels than the first display section.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of source signal lines of the second display section correspond to one source signal line of the first display section, and the display device further comprises a time-sharing drive circuit for sequentially supplying display data signals from the one source signal line of the first display section to corresponding ones of the plurality of source signal lines of the second display section in a time-sharing switching manner.

4. The display device according to claim 3 , wherein the second switching section is used also as the time-sharing drive circuit.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first display section and the second display section are provided in an apparatus in which a second housing is foldable/unfoldable relative to a first housing, and the first display section has a display surface disposed in an outer surface of the first or the second housing when the apparatus is in a folded state where the second housing is closed in respect to the first housing, and the second display section has a display surface disposed in an inner surface of the first or the second housing in said folded state.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second switching section disconnects the corresponding source signal lines of the first display section from the source signal lines of the second display section based on the switching control signal when the first display section performs display operation and the second display section stops display operation.

7. A drive method of the display device, the display device comprising: a first display section which includes a plurality of gate signal lines; a plurality of source signal lines; the first switching sections, each of which is disposed near each of crossings of the gate signal lines and the source signal lines with a control terminal for switching operation connected to the gate signal line; and pixel electrodes connected to the source signal line through the first switching section, and a second display section which includes the plurality of gate signal lines; the plurality of source signal lines; the first switching sections; and pixel electrodes, the method comprising the steps of: supplying a display data signal to the source signal line of the second display section through the source signal line of the first display section; conducting corresponding ones of the source signal lines of the first display section and the source signal lines of the second display section when the second display section performs display operation; and disconnecting the corresponding ones of the source signal lines of the first display section from the source signal lines of the second display section when the first display section performs display operation and the second display section stops display operation, wherein: the second display section is used for display less frequently than the first display section.

8. The drive method of a display device according to claim 7 , wherein the second display section has a larger number of pixels than the first display section.

9. The method of driving a display device according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of source signal lines of the second display section correspond to one source signal line of the first display section, and the method further comprises the step of sequentially supplying display data signals from the one source signal line of the first display section to corresponding ones of the plurality of source signal lines of the second display section in a time-sharing switching manner.

10. The drive method of a display device according to claim 7 , wherein the first display section and the second display section are provided in an apparatus in which a second housing is foldable/unfoldable relative to a first housing, and the first display section has a display surface disposed in an outer surface of the first or the second housing when the apparatus is in a folded state where the second housing is closed in respect to the first housing, and the second display section has a display surface disposed in an inner surface of the first or the second housing in said folded state.

11. A drive system for driving a plurality of source signal lines provided in a first display section, and a larger number of source signal lines provided in a second display section, wherein: the source signal lines of the first display section and the source signal lines of the second display section are connected through a switch section provided therebetween, and the source signal lines of the second display section are driven by a source-signal-line drive circuit, provided in the first display section, which drives the source signal lines of the first display section, the switch section connects corresponding source signal lines of the first display section to the source signal lines of the second display section and disconnects the corresponding source signal lines of the first display section from the source signal lines of the second display section based a switching control signal.

12. The drive system according to claim 11 , wherein a source signal line of the first display section is driven more frequently than a source signal line of the second display section.